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President’s MessageFrom Symposium, to education, to website, to membership categoriesBy Sandi Amoils, MD
President, AAMA
It is an honor for me to be serving on the Board of the AAMA, together with a dedicated and enthusiastic group of like-minded peers. The Board of Directors is committed to improving what our organization offers, and I hope you take advantage of these offerings.

Here’s a synopsis of what has been available to you as a member in the past year and what’s to come:

ANNUAL GATHERING
Our Annual Symposium took place in Denver in April. Arranged by Dr. Yuan-Chi Lin and the Symposium Committee, it provided a great selection of clinical, practical and research topics that all attendees enjoyed. In addition we had an array of exhibitors, poster presentations, qigong sessions, calligraphy by Dr. Steven K.H. Aung and a wonderful dinner social event emceed by Dr. Jay Sandweiss, with Wine Tasting II hosted and wines provided from Cooper Mountain Vineyard of our own member Dr. Robert Gross. If you couldn’t join us, you missed a great conference! We had many first time attendees at this conference who all enjoyed it immensely.(See separate article for more.)

Next year, the Annual Symposium will be in St Louis, MO April 23-26, 2015. The Symposium Committee under the leadership of Drs. Rick Hobbs and Anna Kelly, has lined up yet another broad selection of presentations. You can already book hotel rooms online. I hope you save the date and plan to attend!

The Board and the Symposium Committee put a great deal of effort into selecting the location and the format of these events every year. Take advantage of these, if at all possible .You will not be disappointed. It is an opportunity to learn, meet like-minded colleagues and to reinforce your healing abilities.

EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS
The Education Committee is under the leadership of Drs. Claudia Harsh and Nancy Cotter, and they have ambitious plans to provide continuous access to educational events in the next few years. Last year, two Weekend Workshops were hosted (Korean Hand Acupuncture and Scalp Acupuncture).

They have plans for many more in the upcoming years, so be on the lookout for these and for a survey coming to you from this committee to determine your interest and needs. The goal is to make these accessible and affordable. The success of these is dependent on our members’ support, so please help us make this happen.

The Education Committee has also created Webinars on various topics. Access to these is available on the website as a member. Please consider presenting one of these and sharing your expertise.

REVISED WEBSITE
The newly reformatted website is much more interactive and updated. It will continue to improve and provide you with more benefits, such as access to purchasing taped lectures with CME. In addition we now have an active Google Forum group. This has provided many members with the opportunity to engage in dialogs and learn from one another. Please take advantage of these offerings as a member! (See separate article for more.)

AAMA JOURNAL
The Medical Acupuncture Journal has now been coming to you every two months. Dr. Richard Niemtzow as the editor has strived to provide our members with a wide array of topics. The recent two editions with topics pertaining to Ear Acupuncture have been particularly valuable. Our hope is to provide CME with the Journal in the future. As the Journal is a reflection of our community, we value any effort from our members to provide articles. Please consider doing this.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
The Board has recognized the need to expand our membership categories to include other allied medical professionals who practice acupuncture as licensed medical professionals. We have worked diligently to create new bylaws, which reflect these new options and are in the process of asking our members to vote on these proposed changes. Please see separate article for more in this issue and then participate in the voting.

Our community is small, and our Board is committed to maintaining and improving the services that our organization offers to our members. We need to remain robust to survive. Please take advantage of the services we do provide. I urge you to communicate with us if you have any suggestions or would like to volunteer in any manner.

The State of AAMA
It was reported in Denver that the Board is committed to financial self-sufficiency and to improvement (such as the rejuvenated educational program with weekend workshops, the Journal now six times a year and the relaunched website). Leaders plan to offer members quality programs and services, expanded educational opportunities and protected rights to practice.

The Education Committee wants to continue offering free webinars, so volunteers are sought (see separate article by Dr. Claudia Harsh in this issue). The Membership Committee is recruiting new members (contact Dr. Burgoon to volunteer). Members (currently at 1,249) are urged to spread the word about the Academy to the public, the medical community and to physicians who practice acupuncture but are not yet members. Contact any Board member with ideas and suggestions.

Treasurer’s Report
For the first eight months of the 2013-’14 Fiscal Year, assets were at $567,087 minus $2,009 liabilities for a $565,078 net worth. At that point, operating income was at $526,024, minus $271,578 operating expenses for a $254,446 net income, prior to Symposium expenses.

The Academy has operated fairly close to break-even throughout the years and expects to do so again this year. Some activities, such as increasing the frequency of the Journal, have long-term cost implications. To balance that, leaders are looking for new sources of income and for ways to expand current sources. Expanding the membership base is the key to more income, so members are urged to recruit their colleagues.

Membership Categories
In the Annual Membership Meeting, a proposal by the Membership Committee was discussed to expand Affliliate, non-voting, non Practice membership to include scientists and educators with PhD or EdD degrees engaged in acupuncture research; physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists licensed to practice acupuncture; licensed dentists and podiatrists with acupuncture training, and physicians who obtained medical training outside the US but who solely practice as licensed acupuncturists in the US. (There are more conditions in those four proposed additions.)

In Denver, members offered varying opinions on expanding the membership category. Some, such as Dr. Narda Robinson, encouraged opening up to veterinarians. Drs. Lowell Kobrin and Robert Gross agreed. Others suggested allowing dentists to be full members if they are LAc. Dr. Alison Lee said the Academy should “look to see what other medical organizations are doing in the membership area.”

There was a debate on whether or not to add naturopaths and LAc. Dr. Michael Greene was in favor, saying “the majority would be assets as Affiliates.” Dr. Burgoon noted that “the LAc are very diverse.”

“The AAMA needs to change with the times,” said Dr. Anna Kelly. “We need to unite in the medical profession. I don’t understand excluding a large number of LAc’s.” However, others voiced opposition to allowing LAc.

“I like the focus to stay on medical acupuncture,” said Dr. Claudia Harsh. “That’s where I want us to remain.”

After review, the Board has voted in favor of a number of these changes. After all written comments are received and reviewed, the Board will prepare a final recommendation that will be forwarded to all voting members to decide by mail ballot on this bylaw change.

Fellows Named
The following members were elected to Fellowship in the Academy:
James H. Barry, MD, FAAMA
Robert J. Sciacca, MD, FAAMA
Gary Stanton, MD, FAAMA

Poster Winners
Poster Presentation winners were chosen in Denver:

1st Place ($750) Sergei Bluman (for the second year) of Tarrytown, NY
“Measuring the Relaxation Response due to Acupuncture with EEG Biofeedback/Neurofeedback Equipment”

2nd Place ($500) Sang-Ho Hyun of Korea
“Effect of ST36 Acupuncture on Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity and Hyperventilation-induced CO2 Reactivity of the Basilar and Middle Cerebral Arteries in Normal Subjects”

3rd Place ($250) Kristen Sparrow, MD, of San Francisco
“Acupuncture Clinical Case Study of Treatment for Hypertension: Short and Long Term Effects on Heart Rate Variability”

The Academy has syllabi available from the 2014 Symposium (print or CD format) and four Pre-Symposium workshops. There are books and other material available at discounted prices for Practice members. Check out all the offerings in the AAMA Online Store.

"Another year has gone by and another Symposium also," said outgoing President Rey Ximenes, MD, FAAMA. "I want to thank you all for allowing me to serve as president. I will fondly remember the time you gave me. I will continue on as past-president and hand you over to Sandi Amoils, MD, who promises to take you even further! For those of you that made it to the Symposium, I thank you for your participation. Here is a YouTube video of some pictures I took. For those of you that couldn’t make it, this is a little of what you missed."

Mark Your Calendar!

The 2015 AAMA Symposium will be held at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch, 315 Chestnut St., St. Louis, MO 63102. It will be organized by Drs. Richard F. Hobbs and Anna Kelly. The Review Course will be April 21-22, 2015, the Pre-Symposium Workshops on April 23, 2015, the Symposium April 24-26, 2015 and the Board Certification Exam on April 26, 2015. Rooms can be booked at $169/night (sgl/dbl) until March 23, 2015 (or until our block sells out, whichever comes first) by calling 314/655-1234 or booking online.

Members are encouraged to check out the redesigned AAMA website, where you can join your peers in a new Google Chat Forum, purchase valuable resource material, pay membership dues and more.

The site includes a Member Only feature that requires that each member have a unique user name and password in order to access the full features of the website. For instance, when you sign on the site as a member, you can access the current and all past issues of the Medical Acupuncture Journal. You need to be signed in as a member in order to access the Webinar recordings, as well.

Discussion Group
Many Academy members have been presenting cases, getting solutions to problems and discussing issues related to medical acupuncture in AAMA’s new Google Chat Forum. This private email discussion group allows members to communicate, ask questions, and share ideas with each other. You can also customize how often you receive email responses from your peers. Invitations were sent by email, but members can also ask to be added directly to the group by clicking here and then entering your user name and password, or registering.

Also, a complete directory of Academy members can be accessed only when you are signed in as a member. As staff continues to build out the new website, other features, such as case discussions, a Q & A forum among others, will be added for access by members only.

Getting Started
Academy staff has set up online accounts for most members. Each member was assigned a discrete username and a temporary password. Once you log in as a member (the login link is in the upper right hand side of all pages), you can change your password, and update or change other information in your account, but your assigned username will be permanent. See the information below on your assigned user name and temporary password. Please save this information in a safe place for future use.

Patient Referral Program
Those members who are Associate, Full or Fellow level members may participate in the Academy’s Patient Referral Program if they are available to accept new patients. Those who participate are included in the online listing of physician acupuncturists. The Academy website gets hundreds of queries each week from patients looking for a physician acupuncturist.

Interested members can sign up to be included in the program by signing on to the Academy website with your user name and password, and then going to the “For Physician” tab. Click on the pull-down menu to see the link to sign up for the Patient Referral Program.

Contact the Academy offices if you have any problems or need additional information.

The following physicians recently met the stringent requirements of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture (ABMA) and has achieved Board Certification in medical acupuncture. These doctor have earned the designation DABMA (Diplomate, American Board of Medical Acupuncture):

After 10 years, each candidate for recertification was required to submit the following:

• Application for recertification.
• Copy of current active medical license.
• Documentation of 150 hours of continuing education credits in medical acupuncture since certification. CME credit is preferred. Topics must be primarily acupuncture. Independently awarded CEU credits may be acceptable, at the discretion of the Board.
• Submission of two written Case Reports on actual cases treated to demonstrate continued knowledge and proficiency in the discipline. Specific Case Report Guidelines will be provided.
• Payment of a recertification fee of $250.

There is no written examination required for recertification.

Applications for recertification should be submitted at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the original certification to assure sufficient time for Board review and approval. Each submission is submitted to the Board for review to confirm the adequacy of the Case Reports and to confirm that the continuing education requirements were met.

For those designees who are unable to complete the process by the expiration date, an automatic extension of up to three years is available upon request.

The following is a review of reported research results and related news recently announced or released through Internet outlets:

•The abstract, “Acupuncture at Baihui and Dazhui reduces brain cell apoptosis in heroin readdicts,” was published in Neural Regeneration Research (2014, No. 9, Issue 2). This study explored acupuncture based on prior research reducing neuronal loss in cerebral ischemic rats. Researchers concluded that their study provided a partial mechanism for the neuroprotective effect of acupuncture on brain cell death in heroin readdicted rats, and provided insights on using acupuncture to treat heroin read¬diction.

•The abstract, "Acupuncture for Chronic Pain," was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (March 5, 2014, Vol. 311, No. 9). The study sought to assess acupuncture associated with reduced pain outcomes for patients with chronic pain, compared with sham-acupuncture or no-acupuncture control. The response rates were approximately 30% for no acupuncture, 42.5% for sham acupuncture, and 50% for acupuncture. Researchers concluded that acupuncture is associated with improved pain outcomes, compared with sham-acupuncture and no-acupuncture control.

•The abstract, “Dopamine mediates vagal modulation of the immune system by electroacupuncture (EA),” was published in Nature Medicine (Feb. 23, 2014). The vagus nerve reduces inflammation in the body when stimulated. This study sought to discover if EA could help reduce inflammation and organ injury in septic mice. Researchers discovered that dopamine agonists mimic the anti-inflammatory effects of EA and provide therapeutic advantages to control inflammation in infectious and inflammatory disorders.
•The abstract, “Treating 30 cases of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm with acupuncture plus the Xuefu Zhuyu decoction,” was published in the Clinical Journal of Chinese Medicine (2014, 6 (1), 44-45). Cerebral vasospasm is commonly a response to an aneurysmal hemorrhage. Sixty patients were divided into a control group and an acupuncture group. Researchers found that acupuncture quickly relieved cerebral vasospasm by improving cerebral blood flow.

•The abstract, “Treating peripheral facial paralysis by comprehensive treatment,” was published in the Clinical Journal of Chinese Medicine (No. 104, February 2014). Researchers at Shehong County TCM Hospital selected 102 patients divided them into the non-electroacupuncture control group and the electroacupuncture treatment group. Patient onset of the disease was within three days. The study involved a four-week trial in which patients receiving electroacupuncture and rehabilitation training statistically outperformed those receiving acupuncture and physiotherapy. Researchers concluded that electroacupuncture, combined with rehabilitation training, is effective in treating facial paralysis.

Hiroshi Nakazawa, MD, FAAMA, was recently honored by the Government of Japan for his significant contributions to the development of medical exchange between Japan and the US. Among recipients of the 2014 Spring Imperial Decorations, the former AAMA president received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

Dr. Nakazawa was the first Japanese physician to become president of a city’s medical society (Baltimore), and also became vice president of the Maryland State Medical Association. This contributed to widening the role of Japanese medical practitioners in the US. In 2007, he became president of AAMA. Because of his active contribution, Dr. Nakazawa opened doors for many Japanese medical practitioners to be able to proactively play a part in the US.

Dr. Nakazawa has been active in volunteer work, as well. In 1987, he was given an award from President Ronald Reagan for outstanding Asian Americans who contributed to the society. In 1989, he received a volunteer award from the Maryland Medical Association. Then in 2004, he received the Foreign Minister’s award for the contribution of promoting Japanese societal status in the US from Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi.

Dr. Nakazawa has also played a large role in promoting grassroots exchange between the two countries, by becoming the first Chairman of the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee. In 2010, he became the "Honorary Goodwill Ambassador of the City of Kawasaki" to the City of Baltimore. Now he is contributing to the exchange between the two cities as an advisor to the committee.

AAMA International Affiliate member Fokke Jonkman, MD, PhD, and his wife Marie Lore gave a three-day seminar in Watertown, MA on the treatment of cardiac diseases with acupuncture.

Dr. Jonkman is a cardiologist, Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology and also holds a PhD in cardiovascular pharmacology. His wife Marie Lore is a physical therapist with 35 years experience. Both have been practicing acupuncture for 12years and together have a cardiology practice in Heelsum, The Netherlands that combines the full spectrum of conventional cardiac diagnostics and treatment with acupuncture.

“This was an incredibly interesting conference on acupuncture treatment of coronary artery disease, hypertension, arrhythmias and heart failure,” said Academy member Thomas S. Burgoon, MD, DABMA, who attended the presentation shown on the left. “Fokke and Marie Lore presented many cases to illustrate their work with before and after treatment echocardiograms, stress tests and Holter monitor results. Their work combines a sophisticated blend of modern cardiology and extensive acupuncture training. Everyone attending loved this seminar.”

Fokke and Marie Lore will present this seminar again in the US on Sept. 19-21, 2014 in Hartford, CT, where they will be hosted by the Connecticut Society for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. (www.csaom.org).

Several AAMA members recently attended the Society of Acupuncture Research and the China Association of Acupuncture and Moxibustion International Symposium on Acupuncture Research in Beijing, China.

Held May 30-June 1 in Beijing, China, the Symposium’s theme was, “The Impact of Acupuncture Research on 21st Century Global Healthcare.” This was the first research symposium to be jointly sponsored by the SAR and the CAAM.

The AAMA is an institutional member of the SAR. The meeting was attended by Board member Thomas S. Burgoon, MD, DABMA; former president Richard F. Hobbs, III, MD, FAAMA (both standing on the right), and John P. Kohler, MD, FAAMA, president of the Pennsylvania State Chapter of AAMA. All three also gave poster presentations.

Dr. Burgoon presented on the analysis of sham and verum techniques employed in the acupuncture randomized trial for tension type headache. Dr. Hobbs presented on the introduction of a longitudinal curriculum in medical acupuncture with residency training in family medicine. Dr. Kohler presented on acupuncture relieves pain in RSD: pitfalls in in the analysis of results.

Outstanding plenary sessions included talks by Tomas Ots from Germany; Elisabet Stener-Victorin of Sweden; Hugh McPherson from the UK; Remy Coeytaux, Lixing Lao, Rick Harris and Vitaly Napadow from the USA, and Baixiao Zhao from the People’s Republic of China. On the left are Conference chairs Lixing Lao, Liu Baoyan, Vitaly Napadow and Rick Harris.

Next year’s SAR Research Conference in Boston, MA on Nov. 12-14, 2015.

One workshop attendee noted that he has attended several AAMA symposia and workshops through the years and said this was "the best I've been to." Another attendee said that she had read Dr. Hao's book and sought out the training. She has worked as a LAc for more than 20 years and was impressed with the quality of the workshop. She also is glad she’s on the AAMA mailing list so she will learn of more opportunities like this one.

Dr. Hao demonstrated his technique on two of my practice patients with M.S., both of whom reported an increase in balance, coordination and stamina. The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture designated this live activity for a maximum of 11 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

Look for more quality weekend workshops throughout the country, sponsored by the AAMA. Currently "in the works" are topics such as Five Element Acupuncture, Battlefield Acupuncture and French Energetics.

My thanks to the steady volunteers on the Education Committee. Members meet monthly on the first Monday of the month at 9pm Eastern.

Perhaps you would like to help us develop educational programs for the AAMA membership? If so, please contact me at claudia.harsh@gmail.com.

According to a base news release, physicians and other health care professionals in the 78th Medical Group recently received training in the practice from former Academy member Thomas Piazza, MD, from Andrews Air Force Base, MD. Students in the daylong session received hands-on instruction by performing acupuncture on each other and volunteers seeking pain relief.

The procedure involves placing five small needles in the surface of the ear, which stay there for two to four days before falling out. The procedure is performed in minutes, and the results can be felt within seconds, according to the press release.

Military Embracing Acupuncture
Acupuncture Council announced that the US military posted a position on their USA jobs website, seeking a full-time, trained acupuncturist for the Brooke Medical Centre in Texas. The posting and requirements represent big news for the US Army in the advancement of medical acupuncture. Details from PRWeb are posted here.AAMA looking for members to present webinars

The Academy continues to offer educational webinars as a value-add to membership in the organization and as such, needs your involvement.

If you have an interest in offering a webinar for the membership, please provide the title and a short summary for consideration by the Education Committee. Webinars are typically 45 minutes to an hour in length and can either be personal case presentations or literature reviews.
The Academy has hosted and archived free webinars for members – among them: “Cash-Based Acupuncture: Creating a Successful Practice,” by Laura Bowman, MD; “Acupuncture & Fertility” by Claudia E. Harsh, MD; “Acupuncture Trauma Protocol” by Mitchell Elkiss, DO, FAAMA; and “Advanced Auricular Therapy: Enhanced Clinical Results” and “Acupuncture Related Techniques for Sports and Pain Medicine,” by Bryan L. Frank, MD, FAAMA.

Details on future webinars will be posted on the Academy’s website, in this newsletter and sent via email.

Texas chiropractors who practice acupuncture are a threat to public health because their training requirement, as set by a state board, is too low, according to a recent lawsuit. The Houston Chronicle reports the Texas Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine filed the suit in the 201st State District Court in Travis County against the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners and its executive director, Yvette Yarbrough. As explained in the plaintiff's petition, the Texas Occupations Code governs the practice of both chiropractic medicine and acupuncture, spelling out regulations for the two fields in different chapters: Chapter 201 for chiropractic and Chapter 205 for acupuncture. The plaintiff is asking the court to declare that either the code rules are invalid or that the law allowing chiropractors to practice acupuncture with "significantly less education and training than acupuncturists" is unconstitutional, the petition stated.

The Academy is looking for volunteers interested in working on AAMA committees. Among those seeking volunteers are the Symposium Program Committee and the AAMA Membership Committee. Click here for a list of committees and responsibilities of each. Contact Executive Administrator James Dowden (administrator@medicalacupuncture.org, 310/364-0193) if you have questions or are interested in becoming more directly involved in a committee.

Joseph M. Helms, MD, was among the faculty at The 9th Munich Acupuncture Days in the Multidisciplinary Pain Center at the University of Munich in Munich, Germany. The sponsor was Harvard Medical School, Boston, and J. Helms, MD, Division of Medical Acupuncture, Stanford Medical School.

Each year, Hiroshi Nakazawa, MD, FAAMA, leads Japanese physician acupuncturists and LAc’s to the AAMA-Japan Seminar at the Mamiya Clinic in Hamamatsu, Japan. “My concentration has been practical, impromptu teaching and demonstrations on actual patients,” he said. “I have always asked that the attendees jot down their impressions, tentative diagnoses, ‘sho’ and their approach to solve the patient’s problem. At the end of the day, all cases were reviewed and discussed. I have found that method of teaching the most stimulating and valuable to attendees.” If interested in the next session in mid-September 2014, contact Dr. Nakazawa at minekonaka@aol.com.

If you are a Full Member or Fellow of the AAMA with DABMA certification, you should be printing the Medical Acupuncture certification mark on your stationary, business cards or other listings to promote your special accomplishments in medical acupuncture. The certification mark is available only to Full Members and Fellows of the AAMA who are currently Board Certified by the ABMA. The mark has been registered with the US Patent Office as a Certification Mark that is available for the exclusive use of those who meet the specified credentials. See Certification Mark Guidelines for standards on how the mark should be used in printed materials including acceptable type face, size, color, etc. For an electronic copy of a reproducible jpeg copy of the logo to provide your printer, Full Members and Fellows who are currently Board Certified through the ABMA may send a request to administrator@medicalacupuncture.org. Upon verification of your status, a jpg file will be sent to you.

Drs. Gary Kaplan and Jay Sandweiss will be among faculty at the American Academy of Pain Management’s 25th Annual Clinical Meeting in Phoenix, AZ Sept. 18-21, 2014. Dr. Sandweiss will be giving concluding remarks. The event is accredited by AAPM for up to 26 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. For more details on 41+ educational events, visit www.aapainmanage.org.

Members are reminded that they are entitled to a 5% discount off retail prices on all titles at Redwing Book Co. (www.redwingbooks.com). Orders can be placed by phone (800/873-3946) to have the discount verified, and this year, they can also use a new coupon to use so they see the discount on orders placed online as well. The code for members is: AAMA14. That can be entered in the coupon area when placing an order at www.redwingbooks.com.

Bryan L. Frank, MD, FAAMA, Past-President of the AAMA, has completed the Fellowship and is now Board Certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. People interested in serving those with little or no access to healthcare should visit www.GlobalMissionPartners.org, a 501-c-3 not-for-profit charitable corporation serving in Kenya, Nepal, India, Ecuador and México. Travel with a purpose; join a mission in 2014.

The 1st Mediterranean Congress on Auricular Neuromodulation will be held Sept. 3-5, 2014 in Costa Navarino, Messina, Greece, sponsored by Medical International Society of Auricular Acupuncture and accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. For details, visit www.auricular-acupuncture.com.

Editor-in-Chief Dr. Richard Niemtzow of the journal, Medical Acupuncture, is seeking volunteer reviewers to review manuscripts. Reviewers will access manuscripts online. Reviews must be completed and returned within one business week. Reviewers successfully completing a series of timely, high-quality reviews may be invited to join the Editorial Board (at the discretion of the editor in chief). Please send brief qualifications and contact information to n5ev@aol.com.

Long-standing AAMA member and former Board member Mitch Prywes, MD, FAAMA, made a foray into stand-up comedy, recently captured in this Danbury NewsTimes article.

The Academy has syllabi available from the 2014 Symposium (print or CD format) and four Pre-Symposium workshops. There are books and other material available at discounted prices for Practice members. Check out all the offerings in the AAMA Online Store.

The AcuTrials Database is available as a resource to medical acupuncturists at: http://acutrials.ocom.edu (for new members, click “login now” and “sign up” to create a free account). AcuTrials is updated monthly, contains more than 1,250 articles from more than 300 journals, and is open to the public. Articles included are English language RCTs and systematic reviews that report on medical conditions in human subjects treated by needle acupuncture. Study details are indexed by 14 key domains, such as acupuncture style and needling protocol, to create an acupuncture-relevant, searchable keyword catalogue. For a resource description, visit http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/13/181/abstract.

The International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques (ICMART) World Congress XVII will be held in Bali/Indonesia, May 8-10, 2015. The current and future practices of acupuncture will be discussed with the world-renowned academics of acupuncture from across the globe who will attend the Congress. New practices will be explained in workshops.

Attention all DABMA designees: The ABMA is into the third year of certification renewals. More recent Diplomates have been completing the renewal process quicker, as they are aware of the requirements and are prepared to meet them. As a reminder, you must document completion of 150 hours of continuing education credits in medical acupuncture-related courses at the time of re-certification. Those who are short are asked to complete those credits before your certification comes up for renewal.

The 2015 AAMA Symposium will be held at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch, 315 Chestnut St., St. Louis, MO 63102. It will be organized by Drs. Richard F. Hobbs and Anna Kelly. The Review Course will be April 21-22, 2015, the Pre-Symposium Workshops on April 23, 2015, the Symposium April 24-26, 2015 and the Board Certification Exam on April 26, 2015. Rooms can be booked at $169/night (sgl/dbl) until March 23, 2015 (or until our block sells out, whichever comes first) by calling 314/655-1234 or booking online.

The ABMA Review Course has been recorded and is available on DVDs, available for purchase here.

The 2014 fall dates for seminars provided by Alternative Medicine Seminars are available on the events calendar of the Academy's website. Enrich your clinical practice by adding some of the most powerful tools in alternative medicine. Learn auricular therapy both basic or advanced or learn the fascinating techniques of auricular medicine and the one auricular needle technique to treat any allergies (the SAAT technique). Also available basic courses on how to integrate homeopathy treatment into your daily practice. Number of attendees are limited to enhance your learning experience. Please log on www.alternativemedicineseminars.com or call (301) 251-2335 for details.

As part of AAMA membership, members are being offered access to more than 400 journal articles categorized by disease/health application that promote the efficacy of acupuncture. Contact the Helms Medical Institute at mafp@hmieducation.com to obtain your unique password to access this information anytime. Then go to http://hmieducation.com/home and click on "Published Articles." Scroll down to "View Articles Not in the Public Domain."

Arizona
Arizona Chapter meetings are held at 9 am the second Saturday of the month at Dr. Martha Grout’s office, Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine, 9328 E. Raintree Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. For details, call 480/240-2600 or e-mail drmartha@arizonaadvancedmedicine.com. There are monthly speakers on topics related to medical acupuncture, as well as Chinese and Functional/Integrative medicine. Email Dr. Grout to get on the email list for meeting announcements.

Georgia
The Georgia Association of Medical Acupuncturists invites everyone to visit their website to learn more about their organization’s philosophy, mission, events and much more. Their site includes a “Member” page, which includes contact information for each GAMA member. For information regarding membership and seminars, contact GAMA President Carlos Parrado, MD, at parrado.pena@att.net.

Illinois
The goal of President Lorene Wu, MD, DiplAc, and Secretary/Treasurer Anthony DeLorenzo, DO is to provide education and support to members. They plan to interface more with the wider acupuncture community by serving on the Illinois Acupuncture Board and by attending meetings of the local acupuncture society.

Meetings are held every other month at Memorial Hospital in LaGrange, IL.

Maryland
The Maryland Society of Medical Acupuncture offers educational programs and wants to increase participation. Treat yourself to an interesting evening. It is free, and members whose dues are paid receive a free meal. The lecture is on the Chapter. Contact Dr. Joan Ordman at jordman@aol.com to join MSMA.

Ohio
The Ohio Chapter will host the CME seminar, An Integrated Approach of the Japanese Acupuncture Style: Using Haptic Feedback to Obtain an Optimal Qi Response, Oct 25-26, 2014, with presenter C. Leslie Smith, MD.

Dr. C. Leslie Smith is an integrative physician acupuncturist and a medical educator. After medical school, she initially trained in General Surgery and medical education but ultimately fell in love with acupuncture. She then attended YoSan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for several years in Los Angeles and subsequently completed Harvard’s Structural Acupuncture for Physician’s course. She has amalgamated several different styles of acupuncture--Traditional Chinese Medicine, Master Tung's methods, and various Japanese-styles, but has been specifically studying the Japanese style for the last several years. She is on staff at the University of Illinois, Chicago, College of Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Medical Education. Leslie maintains a private practice in Chicago and lectures frequently around the country.

The Ohio Chapter would love to see more active participation of the current membership, as well as new members. Please join them and invite medical acupuncture colleagues. For more information or questions, contact President Dr. Steve Amoils at Steve.Amoils@myhealingpartner.com.

New Jersey & Pennsylvania
John Kohler, MD, FAAMA, is the president of the Pennsylvania Chapter. Visit www.pamedicalacupuncture.com/ for details on this chapter.

Washington State
Members are looking for fresh blood and qi to reinvigorate the Washington State Chapter. Please contact Secretary J. Kimber Rotchford, MD, at JKRotchford@gmail.com if interested in a leadership role or just to discuss possibilities.

Click here for an up-to-date listing of AAMA Regional Chapter officers, their contact information, Websites and members. Think about joining a Chapter to learn more about medical acupuncture specific to your area. And if there’s not a Chapter in your region, please consider forming one by contacting Jim Dowden, AAMA executive administrator, at administrator@medicalacupuncture.org. Chapters provide fellowship, professional camaraderie, education and curbside consults.